What you need before you start
Business email combines a registered domain with an email hosting service. An address such as hello@yourbusiness.co.za uses your own name rather than a free email provider’s domain. You do not need a website to use business email, but you do need control of the domain’s DNS settings so messages reach the correct provider.
If you have not registered a name, check domain availability first. If your domain is already registered elsewhere, you can usually point its email records to your chosen provider without transferring the registration. Confirm the correct records with support before changing anything.
Choose mailboxes and storage for your team
Count the people who need separate inboxes, then list shared addresses such as accounts@ or sales@. A mailbox stores messages and has its own sign-in. A forwarding address sends incoming mail to another inbox; it is not necessarily a separate mailbox. Ask how you should handle shared departmental addresses before deciding how many accounts to buy.
Compare both the mailbox limit and the total disk space. A team that keeps years of attachments will need more storage than one that regularly archives messages. Check the number of connected devices and the support available for the applications you use.
Our business email plans show mailbox counts, storage and device limits. Email is also included in web hosting packages, so compare the combined requirements if you are buying hosting for a website too.
Set up DNS with the provider’s exact values
MX records direct incoming mail to the email provider. SPF identifies authorised senders, DKIM adds a verifiable signature to outgoing messages, and DMARC tells receiving systems how to handle messages that fail the relevant checks. These records need to match your actual sending services.
Do not copy another company’s DNS values or create a second SPF record without checking the existing setup. Your website forms, invoicing software and marketing platform may also send mail using your domain. Give support a list of those tools so the records can be reviewed together. Authentication helps receivers evaluate messages, but does not guarantee inbox delivery.
Connect your email applications
Create the required accounts, then use the server names, ports and encryption settings supplied for your service. IMAP is commonly used to keep mail folders synchronised across devices; SMTP handles outgoing mail. Use the provider’s secure settings and avoid guessing server names from your website address.
Send a test message to an external inbox, reply to it and confirm both directions work. Test each important device and any website contact form that sends through the new service. Check spam folders and keep a copy of the settings in your business records.
Moving existing messages needs a separate plan
Changing MX records routes new messages; it does not automatically copy messages, contacts or calendars from the old provider. Before switching, back up important data and agree how existing mail will be moved. Keep the old accounts available until you have checked the new inboxes and the agreed DNS transition period has passed.
Tell the team when the change will happen and when they need to update their devices. Do not cancel the old email service simply because the domain registration has transferred. Registration, DNS and email hosting are separate parts of the setup.
Get your inboxes ready
Compare business email hosting or contact Lemon Host with your domain, required mailbox count and the email provider you are moving from. Existing customers should use the client area for account-specific support.